Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Gedman & The Broseph On The Silver Screen

Check out this upcoming movie: Game 6. It's about a Red Sox fan and playwright living in New York who does something something something on the night of game six of the '86 World Series. As you can see, I'm not fully grasping what this movie is actually about yet. But I do know that Mr. Mom himself, Michael Keaton, plays the lead role. Former SCTV cast member Catherine O'Hara and former SNL cast member Robert Downey, Jr. are also in it. I can't even tell if this is just another "cash in on the whole Red Sox thing" deal, but it's a legit film with legit actors. Although that doesn't always make it work.

I've noticed a shot of Rich Gedman in the trailer, swinging and missing at a pitch from Roger McDowell. The shot is used after the point in the trailer when Keaton's character celebrates Henderson's homer in the top of the tenth in game six. I don't know why the Geddy swing-and-miss is used as the "things then started to go downhill" shot, after which we see Keaton get a pained look on his face. Gedman only faced McDowell twice in the series, and he didn't strike out, so Keaton's reacting to what I've determined to be a swing and a miss by Gedman, on an at bat in the seventh inning of game six in which he ended up singling to left, with Jim Rice getting thrown out at home. (Remember Jim chugging around third with that ridiculously wide turn and those short steps, and then being tagged out by Gary "Brady-perm" Carter?) Oh well, no baseball movie has ever been completely "correct." They're always going to make some mistake that I only I notice. Especially if they go throwin' Gedman up on that screen--I'm gonna see it if there's an inaccuracy. The only reason I can think of that they used this shot is because the pitch Rich misses is eerily similar to the one Stanley later threw past him while he was catching, allowing the tying run to score, just before the Buckner *bad hop* grounder. Maybe there was some miscommunication in the editing room or something. They just knew there was a low and inside pitch that got by Gedman that made Sox fans cringe, but used the wrong footage.

Another interesting thing is how the main character's family is named Rogan. Just like BSM. Keaton plays "Nicky Rogan," but some other dude plays "Michael Rogan." That's right, it's a story about a Red Sox fan living in NYC who has a brother named Mike Rogan. Hey...BSM did take some time off to "work on a screenplay" a while ago. Hmmm. Well, even if it's not his, something tells me Hollywood is being influenced by Red Sox blogs. In fact, guess how I heard of this movie? The company itself emailed me telling me I can go to the "press screening." Am I press? Oh well, I'm gonna go, and I'm also going to inquire about something else from that e-mail: the chance to interview cast and crew. I want Catherine O'Hara. The whole interview would be "Tell me about those Christopher Guest mockumentaries. Then we'll move onto your SCTV years."

Oh, and the band Yo La Tengo does the music. From wikipedia: "Indie rock band Yo La Tengo are huge Mets fans, their name even coming from a Mets anecdote..." That's cool, but I'd have preferred a Red Sox fan band. Or maybe both. This could have been a Jon Richman vehicle!

A life story encapsulated by the '86 series, with all the ups (and oh, were they ups), and downs (no explanation needed). Great cast. Looks good, but there cannot be smiles at the end. Keaton must self-destruct and perish in some way, real or emotional. Good job. And boy, I remember everything about that night, from the Israeli young lady I was with, to the drive home, full of rage and madness. I was dangerous.

Meryl Streep was universally lauded for learning how to play the violin Music of the Heart and yet O'Hara goes unnoticed for learning the autoharp for A Mighty Wind.

I also got the invite and I'm considering going. I'll be in the fedora with the "PRESS" card tipped into the hatband. Jere, you can cover all the mockumentary questions and I'll as about what Dave Foley was like in high school.

Gary Carter, according to the book, "The Bad Guys Won", was a consumate, jealous little DIVA.The Birth of the sarcastic "Rogggger" Chant was born in this series. Many current Mets fans don't know when it began, but it was an outgrowth of the "Darryl" Chant for Strawberry @ Fenway.Darryl ended up snorting it, while Roger is hated because of Mike Piazza's Prowess in hitting Roger out of the ballpark.I gotta see this movie.Calvin Schiraldi really blew it. So did Johnny Mac, the Manager.Davey Johnson, btw, used a Mac Plus, to aid his decisions.

Wow, so I could ask that dude about Murray. And in his filmography is also "Other People's Money," parts of which were filmed in my hometown of Ridgefield, CT while I was in high school. So I could ask "the other Mike Rogan" about that, too.

You know, assuming it's just a big room full of cast members and a bunch of blogging nerds go around and ask them stuff, like it was speed dating or something. Yeah, that's gonna happen.